Potato-digger.



0. YOUNGKIN n H. H. HICKS.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915 4 SHEETEPSHEET 1.

WTNESSES.

U. YOUNGKIN L H. H; HICKS.

PGTATO IHGGER APPLmATmN rum MAY?, 1913.

Patented Mar. 2, 19'15.

4 SHEETSYSHEET Z.

0. YOUNGKIN & H. H. HICKS.

POTATO DIGGER,

APPLICATION Mmm MAY '1` :013,

1,129,939. v Patented Mar. 2,'1915.

l SHEETSSHEET 3 "f, Arm/mfr O. YOUNGKN 6a H. H. HICKS.

POTATQ BIGGER.

APPLICATEGN ULEB HAY 7, 1913.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

OWEN YOUNGKIN, 0F RICHFIELD, `AND HARRY H. HICKS, OF WEISER, IDAHO.

POTLTO-DIGGER.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

i Application filed May 7, 1913. Serial No. 766,198.

T0 all 'whom it may concern:

Be it knownl that we, OWEN YoUNGmN, of Richfield. Idaho. and HARRY H. HICKS, of Veiser, Idaho, have jointly invented a new and useful Potato-Digger, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide an improved and more ellicient potato h arvesting machine; to provide in combination in such a machine an improved plow and shaker-separator mechanism, novel and efficient means for lowering and elevating the plow and shaker-separator mechanism, and novel and independently-controlled means for adjusting the plow.

1t is also our object to provideas a part of our new potato digger improved means for operating the shaker mechanism andY to makeI improvements in such mechanism.

lt is a further object of our invention to provide in combination therewith convenientlypositioned and easily operated as well as novel means for adjusting the potato digger. as desirable.

lt is also our object to provide novel mechanism for supporting the frame of the machine, and to introduce novel parts.vcom hined, arranged and constructed advantageously, as described,v hereinafter and illustratcd in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is a top plan; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the machine; Fig. l is a sectional view of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail view'of the front truck; Fig. is a detail bottom plan view bers.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

T he main frame of the machine comprises a beam l', plowsupporting bars 2, secured to the beam and shaped substantially as illus` trated in the drawings; and a plow 6, rigidly secured to the beam by the aforesaid bars 2, which preferably are secured 'to upturned plow side guides 50. as shown in Fig. l. The frame of the machine is supported by frame-supporting arms 3. attached to and depending from plow-supporting bars 2. Sleeve members 'l are provided for the purpose of holding the framesupporting arms 3, which may be raised or lowered to lessen or increase theworking depth of the plow;

- Road wheels 9 are provided of the shaking memf with axles S. Sleeve members 4 are secured to the4 wheel hubs 7, as illustrated.

Secured to and rotating with wheels 9, or formed integrally therewith is a gear 10, of large size, on each side of the machine. A small gear 11 mounted on cross bar 13, which extends across the frame work' of the machine, is provided and positioned to engage with and be operated by gear 10. Rigidly secured to or formed integrally with gear 11 is a sprocket wheel 12. A chain 1G is provided on each side of the machine, engaging with sprocket wheel 12 and crank-shaft sprocket whcel 15. By this means the crank shaft 14, which extends across the'.machine, and to the ends ot' which the crank shaft sprocket wheels are secured, is operated.

The shaker separator mechanism comprises shaking members 17` in the form of blades having their forward ends oll'set, and having slots 19 provided therein. which are secured by a rod 18 which extends across the machine through slots 19 of the shaking members 17, and is positioned beneath the rear portion of the plow, to which it is se- -eured by fastening plate member 51, or any like suitable fasteningr device, the ends of the rod being secured to the plow-supportingbars 2, as illustrated in the drawings. The shaking members 17 are operated by the crank shaft 14, which"s secured to each shaking member 17 at a substantially central position. and in operation causes an alternate rise and fall ot' the shaking members. Shaker guard members 15)BL arelprovided at each side of the shaker mechanism, as a suhstantial continuation of the side guides 50 formed on the plow. bers 19a extend back past the crank shaft and crank shaft sprocket wheels and prevent vines, etc., from getting entangled in the machine.

To each of the axles 8, suitable bars 20 are fastened and extend in an upward forward direction and have their forward ends connected with arms 21 of cross har 22. Bigidly secured to thefcross, bar 22, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, if. a crossbar gear 23. A segment lever 2l, provided with teeth 25, and having the ordinary spring and slidable pawl lever-locking mechanism, is arranged to engage with Shaker guard mem-` to the beam, frame-supporting arms afiixed to-the plow supporting members, and mech.- 'anismon which the frame-supporting arms are ad'justably mounted, and means for adjusting the position oi' the .fraine-supporting arms relative to the mechanism on which they are mounted.

2. In a potato digger, .the combination of a beam, a plow, plow-supporting members securing/the plow in a fixed position relative to the beam, franie-supporting arms rigidly secured to the plow-supporting members, road wheel, axles therefor, sleeve members secured to the axles, in which sleeve members the frame-supporting arms are udjustably mounted, a cross bar extending through `the beam and opposite frame-supporting armsv and having cross-bar arms, and bars mounted on the axles of the machine and pivotally secured at their endsto the cross bar arms to form toggle joints, and means for rotating the cross bar.

3. In a potato digger, the combination of a frame comprising a beam, plow-supporting members aliixed to the beam, plow and shaker mechanism secured to the plow-supporting members, means for adjustably elevating and lowering the plow and shaker mechanism without altering their relative relation and controlling mechanism consisting of a segment lever, having the ordinary spring and Slidable pawl lever-locking mechanism, a notched plate member to which it is secured, and gear rigidly secured to the mechanism for adju'stably elevating and lowermg the plow and. shaker mechanism, the

aforesaid gear meshing with the aforesaid segment lever.

-l. ln a potato digger, main frame elevating and lowering mechanism comprising plowsupporting members having approximately \)shaped arms and having an approximately U-shaped cross bar rotatably mounted in the plow-supporting members, lever mechanismactuating thc cross bar, road wheels and road wheel axle mechanism operatively connected with and slidable upon the above-mentioned arms,"and oppositelypositioned bars secured to the road-wheel axle mechanism at their lower ends and pivotally secured to theI arms of the aforesaid cross bar at their u'pper ende, for elevating and lowering the plow-supporting members.

5. In a machine of the class described, a beam, 'a plow, plow supporting bars rigidly securing the plow to the bca-m, and substantiall y"\shaped frame-supporting arms des pending from the upper portion of the plow supportingr bars and rigidly secured thereto, and means connected with the aforesaid arm members for their support and the substantially vertical adjustment of the plow member.

ln witness whereof, we hereunto attach our signatures, iu the presence of two witncsses.

OWEN YOUNGKIN. HARRY H. HICKS.

'itnesses Jos. T. GALLAGUER, H. E. Essmir. 

